The present invention relates to a magnetic head supporting mechanism for keeping a magnetic head stably afloat over a recording medium.
In recent years, recording density is steadily increasing in the field of information memory files. For magnetic disk apparatuses, narrowing the gap (hereinafter called spacing) between the magnetic head for reading and writing information and the magnetic recording medium for holding information is an essential element of increasing the recording density. Along with the narrowing of the spacing, the frequency of contacts between the magnetic head and the magnetic recording medium increases, giving rise to a problem of faster wear. Especially, any vibration of the magnetic head would bring the head into contact with the magnetic recording medium more frequently.
The vibration of the magnetic head mainly occurs in either or both of two modes: pitching in the running direction of the magnetic recording medium or the magnetic head, and rolling in the seeking direction (the radial direction of the recording medium). Wear due to the latter poses a particularly serious problem.
As a prior art to reduce this rolling, what is illustrated in FIG. 1 is known to persons skilled in the art. In a magnetic head supporting mechanism 51 shown in FIG. 1, a magnetic head slider 2 is fastened to one end of a supporting spring 3. Each side end of this supporting spring 3 in the seeking direction is bent in an L shape. This magnetic head supporting mechanism increases the rigidity of the magnetic head in the seeking direction and reduces rolling by forming these L-shaped edges. This prior art is described, for example, "Tribology and Mechanics of Magnetic Storage Devices" written by Bharat Bhusan and published by Springer Verlag in 1990.
However, if the spacing is reduced to less than 0.5 micrometer, a supporting spring with L-shaped side edges will prove insufficient in rigidity in the seeking direction and difficult to prevent wear due to rolling. On the other hand, along with the reductions of the magnetic head in size and load, it becomes necessary to extremely reduce the thickness of the supporting spring to minimize the pressing load of the supporting spring. Yet, a thin supporting spring with L-shaped edges would be unable to keep a sufficient degree of rigidity in the seeking direction. Furthermore, L-shaped edges increase rigidity also in the direction 8 vertical to the magnetic recording medium, resulting in an increased pressing load on the recording medium.